(This article is originally from Cohost.) Text by Ruby Acosta @maikoheart, pictures by Ruby Acosta and Callie Heydt
Queens’ Design drivers Callie Heydt, Paige Morton and Ruby Acosta participated in the iRacing Watkins Glen 6 Hours presented by VCO last Friday, marking the first official iRacing endurance event ever for the team. Participating in the GTP class in the brand new Cadillac V-Series.R, the #469 team were set to take on the American modern classic endurance race.
Callie started the car in the 13th position with a class count of 16 cars, making getting a good result a challenge. The team were committed to improving their position despite the tough qualifying spot however with Heydt managing to avoid carnage in the opening laps of the event and picking off positions to find herself in the 5th position by the end of her driving time. However, speeding into the pit lane had set the team on the back foot for the next stage of the event as they were hit with a 40 second hold in the pits.
Ruby took the reins after serving the 40 second hold as she was tasked with the responsibility of making up the lost time. Despite accruing multiple off track points, she was able to keep up the pace in the blistering heat as she quickly improved her position to 4th. With the progression of the race came the lengthening of the intervals between positions, making it a tough feat to catch up to another competitor. The tire wear became a huge factor as well, as the in laps were a test of car control as the front tires would refuse to cooperate.
Paige was the last driver for the race as she took over the car, quickly setting her sights on 3rd. However 2nd place team Delta Racing had suffered a grave mistake on their outlap, spinning with cold tires and running into the tire barrier. This gave the Queens’ Design team a potential chance at 2nd while Paige hunted down the Elite Motorsports Cadillac. Another setback was to come as an incident with a lower class car would push the team above the incident points limit, incurring a drive through penalty.
The American driver however put on an absolutely magnificent display, making the 13 second gap disappear in nearly an instant and completing a heroic pass coming into the esses on the second to last lap of the race. 2nd was more or less secured as the team crossed the line just behind the overall winner, who managed to put a whole lap on the rest of the field although barely.
It’s a wonderful accomplishment for the whole team as this is their best result in any endurance race across its recent history. We’re very proud of their performance as a whole!